By Kate Evans, The Morgan Messenger
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Many states across the country are experiencing a summer surge of COVID-19, including Western states such as Texas and California and some Eastern states like Florida and North Carolina that are showing very high levels of the virus.
Nationally, wastewater viral activity from COVID is very high as of August 10, the CDC reports. Wastewater can be tested to detect traces of infectious diseases moving around in a population, even if illnesses are not increasing. Some 32 states have extremely high wastewater levels of COVID, health officials say.
Omicron Variant K.P. 3.1.1 leads other variants in prevalence at 36.8% as of the two weeks ending August 17, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID tracker data.
Locally, regionally
War Memorial Hospital saw a total of 16 COVID cases in July, said Emergency Room Manager Chris Parsons. They’ve had 15 cases so far in August with almost two more weeks to go in the month. They have been seeing an uptick in cases, but not to the level that it’s considered a surge, she said. Hospitalizations due to COVID have been very few.
The hospital emergency room hasn’t been seeing other respiratory illnesses, Parsons said.
Tonya Trembly of River Bend Family Medicine in Hancock said that they have been seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases for the past month with more than one case a day. They’ve also been having patients with colds, bronchitis and the usual illnesses.
Read more: https://www.morganmessenger.com/2024/08/20/covid-surges-exist-in-many-states-vaccines-advised/
